Advanced Construction Robotics has launched a building construction robot: IronBOT. IronBOT can lift, carry and place 5,000-pound (2.3 tonnes) bundles of rebar in a transverse or longitudinal orientation without heavy lifting by crew members. The robot is the second building site robot the company has released. The company claims IronBOT

Combined with the company’s rebar-tying robot, TyBOT, the two robots can provide around half schedule savings during rebar installation.

Short for reinforcing bar, rebar is steel bars used to reinforce concrete in large scale building projects. As such, they are fundamental to modern large scale building construction.

“We are confident the combination of TyBOT and IronBOT generates a disruptive technology, meaning the time and cost savings are so significant on a job that it will disrupt the way our industry installs reinforcing steel,” said Stephen Muck, Founder and Executive Chairman of Advanced Construction Robotics.

IronBOT successfully completed its inaugural project in February in Port St Lucie, Florida. The originally estimated duration of the rebar installation was 14 days. By supporting the construction crew with both the IronBOT and the TyBOT, the same amount of work was completed in seven days.

During the pilot, IronBOT placed 147,032 pounds (67 tonnes) of rebar while TyBOT completed 58,068 ties over 6.5 production shifts. Shelby Erectors, ACR’s Integration Partner, has already been boosting crew productivity with TyBOT for over two years. “We were excited to be able to have IronBOT and TyBOT work together alongside our crews on this project. We were impressed that we could slash our rebar installation schedule in half. We are actively looking for new projects to incorporate the BOT Bundle in our operations,” said Jack Nix, COO of Shelby Erectors, Inc.

“I am so excited to see our initial prediction of cutting schedules by at least 50% come to fruition on IronBOT’s maiden voyage. This was a perfect example of how field teams, working alongside our technology, can form a “modern crew” to unleash disruptive productivity levels,” said Danielle Proctor, CEO of Advanced Construction Robotics. “This robotic revolution provides innovative construction firms the ability to become game-changers by adopting and putting their ‘modern crew’ to work.”

ACR is also excited to announce Brayman Construction and Advantage Steel & Construction are currently the only contractors certified to provide the BOT Bundle solution as part of its newly launched Certified Innovator Program. Certified Innovators have dedicated crews that have gone through hands-on training on how to optimise operations alongside the BOT Bundle and incorporate the technology in their installation pricing. ” We are excited to work together to show the construction industry how this adoption of robotics at an organisational and cultural level can lead to overall results that are impossible to ignore,” said Zach Rosswog, General Manager of Advantage Steel and Construction.

“Technology is changing the way we approach construction. It helps contractors like us cope with shrinking labour forces and growing demand. We become more productive, efficient, and safer when we pair this technology with an innovative mindset,” said Tim Taylor, Vice President – Heavy Civil of Brayman Construction Corporation. “That’s why we are proud to be the first Certified Innovator and will continue to work with ACR to weave technology into our company identity.”